moon_guardfandomcom-20200213-history
Rhylek Ashens
Rhylek Ashens (November 30, 605 L.C. - July 8, 632 L.C.) was a Hillsbradian musician and painter whom lived most of his life in poverty. He is known for traveling with his younger brother, Alverious, around as bards for those whom frequented the local Inns. Eventually, they camed together to form into a music group (Called Blissful Arrogance) , where they did various of low-paying tours throughout the southern Eastern Kingdoms. During the later years of his life, Rhylek struggled with a potent narcotics addiction, illness and depression. He had a difficulty coping with his low end fame and poor living standards that he and his family were faced with. On July 8, 632 L.C., Ashens's committed suicide infront of his closest friend, Alex Baineford and dozens of other people with a double barrel shotgun loaded with a single bird-shot in the Cathedral Square, just below the steps of the Cathedral of Light. The specific circumstances of his death at the age of 27 has become a heavily debated topic within the Cathedral, as it was a result of him being ignored despite pleas for guidance and assistance to the church-goers. Ashens's was posthumously mummified and buried within the Cathedral of Light, a place which only martyrs and Saints rested before him. =Description= ---- When he stood erect and with good posture, he looked to be at roughly 6'. Rhylek wasn't someone easily overlooked in a crowd, being taller than most Hillsbradian-born Humans. Like most people of his age, he didn't look to weigh more than 205 pounds. The man wasn't in pristine physical condition, but he most certainly looked adequate for his age. His skin adorned wrinkles in various places around his body, like the corner of his eyes and smile-lines on the corner of his lips, though this isn't usually seen as he sported a rather raven black and well-kept beard that runs up the sides of his face, covered his chin and connected to his mustache. His eyebrows were the same color as his facial hair, but unlike most men of his time, Rhylek was known to get them waxed to clean them up and erase the bushy look they would show if left unkempt for a few weeks. Under his brows are two brilliant cerulean eyes. He resembles his grandfather's features more than he does his own father, but had darker hair during his youth. Though, he did get his average sized, yet slightly pointier nose from his mother. =Early Life= ---- Ashens was born on November 30, 605 L.C. at his home in Slaughter Hollows, Hillsbrad Foothills, to a sickly and unemployed maid, Mary Ashens, and a dockhand, Jack Ashens. His parents married in February 3, 602 L.C., in Alterac City, Alterac. His ancestry consists of Alteraci and Stormic relations. Ashens’s Stormic ancestors migrated from Stormgarde many decades earlier. Researchers found they were firekeepers, or people tasked with building and maintaining fires throughout the streets during the harsh winter months, hence the surname, ”Ashens.” As migrants, they first settled in Alterac City, Alterac, before moving down south to a less costly location before settling in permanently. The rest of his siblings – Alverious, Jayce, Alek, Asmira and Esmeralda, were all born within 5 years of Rhylek’s own conception. Ashens’s family had a extensive musical background: His grandfather also served as a highly requested bard for the later years of his time in Stormgarde to the Duke and his Council, his aunt drew a heavy crowd when she played the lute and sung at various taverns throughout the Highlands and Hillsbrad, and his great-grandmother was remembered for her performance using the Viol at many family gatherings and smaller public events. Ashens was described as being a happy and energetic child. He displayed his musical talents at a rather young age, singing at the age of two and playing the lute at a semi-professional level by the age of six. This was because he was inspired and encouraged to do so by his sickly mother, Mary, throughout his childhood, despite their extremely poor financial situation. When Ashens was only fourteen years old, he became homeless due to his father injuring himself at work, making him unable to provide for the family. This had a profound effect on his life, and his personality changed completely soon after. When he was sixteen, he elaborated to one of his only friends: “I remember that I felt nothing but shame and embarrassment. I couldn’t get the education I wanted so badly, and I wore sacks from the market when I went out, because we couldn’t afford cloths. I remember stepping on sharp rocks and nails, and cutting my feet with my siblings because we couldn’t even afford shoes. We would tie strips of bark to our feet when it was dry out, just to prevent our feet from cracking.” Soon after, he decided he was too much of a burden to live with his family anymore. He decided to move out, taking the second oldest and his closest relative, his brother Alverious, with him. They spent a greater part of a year roaming around the stray and winding roads going from town to town doing odd jobs for coin so they can stay dry at night and keep food in their stomachs. Depression had sunken into the young men, and there wasn’t a way to escape from their subpar lifestyle in their point of view. =Blissful Arrogance= ---- On his twelfth birthday, his father had offered him either a used lute, or a pet- He chose the lute. Soon after, he was mastering great works coming from his ancestors and other local famous musicians, bards or entertainers. By this fifteenth birthday, he had already written over twelve of his own songs to play out during special occasions, or in the public for any spare coin during the dockhand’s lunch hours. During the day, Ashens could rarely find anyone to play music with. While hanging around a local tavern, he met one of Alverious’s friends, Eryk Baldts, an enthusiastic drum and lute player like he, and later his Alverious. Eryk’s parents owned a stable-house, so they were able to practice in the vacant stable pens whenever the opportunity presented itself to the trio. Eventually, after months of getting together to practice, Rhylek convinced Eryk and Alverious to form a band together, where they could possibly make a living off of something they truly loved doing, and if not, they would still take pride in making other people happy through their unique style of gothic music, forming the beginnings of Blissful Arrogance. Rhylek was disenchanted after the ban was unable to draw a large crowd and due to the inability of them being able to sustain themselves. During their first few years playing together, Alverious, Eryk and Rhylek were hosts to different fill-ins due to the inability for any of the members to dedicate themselves to the band for more than a few weeks at a time. However, this all changed when Rhylek and Alverious’s mother passed away from pneumonia. This caused a spark in the band, which united the three and brought on great success following their 623 L.C. tour in the Wetlands in honor of their mother. Their success paved the way for other bands to follow in their ‘unethical’ approach towards modernized music. As their fan base grew, Blissful Arrogance began to fracture. Alverious and Eryk enjoyed the fame and the money which came with it, but Rhylek was opposed to it all. He insisted they remain the way they were meant to be: ‘Unethical’. This made them unique. Rhylek grew depressed over the gap brought between his closest friend and his own brother. The band often took long pauses between concerts and tours because of it. =Artistry= ---- Eryk stated that Rhylek believed that the music would come first, then the lyrics. Rhylek focused on melodies in his music, and he disliked it when fans and media would attempt to decipher his meanings behind his words. Because of this, his songs gradually became shorter and shorter, some of which he most recently produced are purely instrumental. Rhylek often stated that: ”I am one big, lucky fool. A pile of slime, and garbage that made it into the spotlight. I scream what I feel and I still feel irrelevant. I feel we have lost our own fans, as we have ourselves. I believe the people whom follow us only do so because the ones before them do so, too. I hate it.” Rhylek immersed himself in artistic projections throughout his life, especially when he wrote and performed his music. He personally viewed it as an escape from reality, something which he could only dream of. He was fascinated with how the mind worked, and often drew his illusions and exaggerated cutaways on the ‘Mind of Man’. =Personal Life= ---- Relationships and Family Rhylek met his closest friend and most loyal fan, Alex Baineford, and future girlfriend, Sarah Norton, after a concert in Moonbrook, Westfall. He and Alex spent more time together than he with Sarah. He often broke off dates to go and hang out with Alex, saying that: ”I enjoy Sarah’s company… But I don’t feel strongly attached to her. I love her; do not get me wrong… But I’d just rather drink a beer with my friends and have some… Fun, than spent the evening having a boring conversation in some tavern about how my shitty life is going, or how my shitty day went.” It would only later be known that the ‘fun’ he was referring to was getting high off of a tar like substance which was injected through a syringe into a blood vein. After almost two years of seeing one another, Rhylek proposed to her using his mother’s engagement band she left behind in her will. However, Rhylek still told Alex that he was empty on the inside, and often regretted waking up. He once told Alex: ”I’m very tired of waking up and immediately going to the pot to puke my intestines out. My head feels as if it will implode, and there is only one escape. I need help. I know it, I do. But I don’t want it. That’s the problem.” Rhylek’s condition became worse after his finance succumbed to a mysterious illness during the dead of winter in the Hillsbrad Foothills. Health Throughout most of his life, Rhylek suffered from a variety of illnesses. Many of which should’ve claimed his life during his infancy. Because of his weakened immune system, he was exhausted quite easily and weakened both mentally and physically with depression weighing down on his shoulders due to his dysfunctional family and embarrassing upbringing. At the age of fifteen, he began to spiral down into alcoholism, and was known for various substance abuses. He was familiar with local Lawmen, and often found himself waking up after a hazy night in a jail cell. When his family could eventually afford one, a Doctor diagnosed Rhylek with acute multi-personality disorder and depression. Rhylek’s first experience with ‘Lyze’, or the thick, black tar like substance that is injected into a vein occurred somewhere around 626 L.C. He had used Lyze sporadically for years, and by 630 L.C., he had developed a full-fledged addiction to the substance. When asked about the substance, and why he uses it by his family members, he told them: ”It is simply self-medicating. I don’t feel pain anymore, and I can feel warmth inside of me. I almost… Almost feel human. If I ever knew what that felt like to begin with.” His substance abuse began to affect the band. Rhylek was often found unconscious or in an unresponsive state on the ground prior to, or right after they got to the stage. He would begin to skip out on eating, and go missing for days on end to enjoy his trips as long as he could. Eventually, he was hospitalized by Alex in hopes a Doctor could help his mental state. After deceiving the Doctor during therapy, he was released and immediately went off to get more Lyze into his system. He was known to overdose, but instead of calling medical personnel to aid Rhylek, Eryk normally poked Rhylek with a needle and splashed alchemy remedies on his face to force him from an unconscious state. =Death= ---- Following a tour in Redridge, he was diagnosed with pneumonia in Stormwind. He stayed at an inn for treatment, and the next day, he was found on the floor, overdosed yet again on Lyze. The staff, displeased with his relapse, readmitted him to the hospital for another evaluation. He remained in the hospital, informing staff of his suicidal tendencies until he managed to slip out of his room one evening. He proceeded to scale the wall and evade several of patrolling Guardsmen. The next morning, his picture was posted on almost every post and bulletin in Stormwind City. Warrants were issued for his arrest and return to the hospital, and the Guards were on a manhunt. Meanwhile, Rhylek locked himself in a vacant tavern room and continued to inject himself full of Lyze. He was spotted in the Mage Quarter, and several of other locations on July 1 and 2, but went missing the next day. He wasn’t seen in public until July 8, when he was on his hands and knees inside of the Cathedral of Light begging Churchgoers and preachers for assistance and advice. He looked to be a mess, his cloths all torn and dirty, hair greasy and knotted. He was unrecognizable, and was ultimately ignored by everyone he crawled up and cried to. Fortunately, Alex had bumped into him as he lay in a puddle of his own tears while he fights the urge to use more Lyze. He would say: “Please, help me. I don’t want to rely on Lyze anymore, but I don’t feel alive. I don’t feel it. I need help; I need someone to talk to. Someone to tell me not to do it. Someone to tell me that it’s a stupid idea. I need someone. Please… Please…” '' Alex managed to assist in getting Rhylek up off the ground of the Cathedral, and offered to talk a walk with him outside for fresh air. He also begged Rhylek to turn himself over to the authorities where he would be able to get the help he desperately needed. Once outside, however, Rhylek began to sob uncontrollably once again, drawing a rather large, inquisitive crowd. After explaining who he was, and what his situation is, he pulled out a sawed-off shotgun from his baggy pants (Which was previously loaded with birdshot, a less potent variant of shotgun ammunition), held the barrel to his left temple and pulled the trigger, thus ending his suffering and his life on the steps of the Cathedral. Rhylek’s body laid flat on its back, head lulled to the left with only a minimal amount of blood coming from the temple and right ear. Even though the shotgun he used to shoot himself was gripped in hand and lying on his stomach, it looked to be as if he were only sleeping to the bystanders whom didn’t directly witness the suicide. Alex was the first to notice a note tucked in the left breast pocket on his now blood-stained shirt, to which he read aloud in tears: ''“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so fucking sorry. I tried, so hard to fight the urges. Lyze was too potent, even for me. It had controlled my life. I wanted help, I needed help. I never knew what it was like to be human. Since the days as early as I can remember, I lived a subhuman life. I had to fight, constantly to survive. I never wanted to die alone, and I apologize as formally as I can to you and anyone else whom witnessed me make my final decision. I just couldn’t go on anymore, knowing that I was a husk of what I never was. I begged for help, I begged for guidance. I cried for weeks on end, seeking a higher power… Only to be ignored, and treated as a slave, or a member of the Horde. I was ignored, and I apologize to anyone I might’ve annoyed while seeking assistance. Hopefully, nobody else will have to be bothered by my presence ever again. I have failed my family, and I have failed my friends for a stupid addiction I am too weak to overcome. I apologize, yet again, to everyone. I will be with mom, soon enough. I love you, Mom. I love you, Sarah. I love you, Alex. I love you, Alverious. I love you, Eryk. I have grown too weak to survive in this world. I feel to be unfit, and I don’t like to be or feel empty anymore. I hope everyone is able to move on, and I hope the fans of Blissful Arrogance are able to forgive me for my selfish decision. Please, forgive me someone. I am so, so sorry for my actions. I just… I just can’t. Not anymore. I can’t physically do it, anymore. Nor can I mentally. I feel as if I am dead already, as if I were never alive to begin with. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU! - Rhylek Ashens, July 8, 632 L.C."'' '' =Legacy= ---- Ashens has been remembered to be one of the most iconic musicians of his time, and he is even buried in the Cathedral of Light, in the section reserved only for Saints and martyrs because the,” Church had failed him,” as quoted from the Archbishop. Eryk followed in Rhylek’s path of suicide months after his fatal decision, and Alverious has since disappeared. Blissful Arrogance is copied by many youth of the Alliance to this day, in hopes to keep the dreams of Eryk, Alverious and Rhylek immortal. A public fan-made shrine for Blissful Arrogance was erected in Moonbrook out of respect for what the band has done for the town’s youth. Category:Deceased Category:Alteraci Category:Hunters Category:Bards Category:Artists